Mr. Bernard Byrne:

The Deputy will find that much of the car finance on offer is actually supplied by the original equipment manufacturer, OEM. In other words, Volkswagen and BMW will offer their own deals which are aimed at shifting their merchandise. Less of that finance is probably directly on offer from the banks.

As the agri-sector has actually grown, we have more credit outstanding to that sector than was the case at the beginning of the year. There are not many sectors in which that is the position. Our exposure to the sector is €1.9 billion at this stage. The fund to which the Deputy refers is a new one. We have a series of funds. We find that if one has a fund and one has something in the shop window, it is easier for people to say "I'll get a bit of that" and "I understand what the agri-fund is". We have many specialists in the regions who are supporting the six advisers who do nothing other than concentrate on the agri-sector. We are very positive in that regard.

In respect of the new sectors to which the Deputy referred - clean tech, energy and medical - we have put a start-up team in place. This comprises ten people whose sole focus is to concentrate on these emerging sectors. We know we need to know more about these industries, particularly as they are different from those industries to which the banks have traditionally lent. We are moving up the curve in terms of the knowledge-base. Much of this is simple. Providing the first item of advice and credit for a small start-up is very different from dealing with traditional manufacturing business. We accept the point and are pursuing a series of initiatives to try to help them move forward.